Grappling assembly for excavating machines and the like

Abstract

An arm member mountable on a dipper stick of a machine and cooperative with an implement pivotally connected to the dipper stick for grappling articles between the arm member and the implement when the implement is pivoted towards the arm member generally consisting of an upper arm section pivotally connectable to an underside of the dipper for pivotal movement about a first axis substantially parallel to the pivot axis of the implement, a lower section connected to the upper section for pivotal movement relative to the upper section about a second axis lying in a plane disposed substantially perpendicular to the first axis, a mechanism interconnecting the arm sections for biasing the arm sections into longitudinal alignment with each other, including means for retarding the biasing action thereof, and means for suspending the free end of the lower arm section from the underside of the dipper stick, cooperable with such implement when such implement is pivoted toward the suspension means for grappling articles therebetween.

1 . An assembly mountable on the front end of a machine comprising: 
 a dipper stick operatively connectable to the front end of said machine;    an implement pivotally connected to said dipper stick;    means operatively interconnecting said dipper stick and said implement for pivoting said implement relative to said dipper stick; and    an arm member having an upper section pivotally connect to an underside of said dipper stick for pivotal movement about a first axis substantially parallel to the pivot action of said implement, a lower section connected to said upper section for pivotal movement relative to said upper section about a second axis lying in a plane disposed substantially perpendicular to said first axis, means interconnecting said arm sections for retarding the pivotal movement thereof, and means suspending from the underside of said dipper stick to a free end of said lower arm section, cooperable with said implement when said implement is pivoted toward said suspending means for grappling articles therebetween.    
   
   
       2 . An assembly according to  claim 1  further including a means for biasing said arm sections into longitudinal alignment with each other below said dipper stick.  
   
   
       3 . An assembly according to  claim 2  wherein said biasing means comprises a spring.  
   
   
       4 . An assembly according to  claim 1  wherein said retarding means includes a cylinder filled with a fluid and a piston having a head portion displaceable in said cylinder, provided with restricted passageways therethrough including one-way valves.  
   
   
       5 . An assembly according to  claim 4  wherein said cylinder includes a chamber communicable with said cylinder fluid.  
   
   
       6 . An assembly according to  claim 1  including a pair of retarding means for retarding the pivotal movement thereof.  
   
   
       7 . An assembly according to  claim 1  wherein said retarding means is pivotally connected to said upper arm member at a point displaced from the longitudinal centerline thereof.  
   
   
       8 . An assembly according to  claim 1  wherein said upper arm member includes a portion projecting laterally of the longitudinal centerline thereof and an end of said retarding means is pivotally connected thereto.  
   
   
       9 . An assembly according to  claim 1  wherein said lower arm section includes means restricting the angular displacement of said lower arm member relative to said upper arm member.  
   
   
       10 . An assembly according to  claim 9  wherein said restricting means comprises an abutment having angularly displaced abutment surfaces engageable with said upper arm member to correspondingly restrict the angular displacement of said lower arm section relative to said upper arm section.  
   
   
       11 . An assembly according to  claim 2  wherein said biasing means and said retarding means comprise a coil spring and a piston and cylinder assembly wherein said spring is connected at one end thereof to said piston and at another end thereof to said cylinder, said cylinder is provided with a fluid and said piston includes a head portion disposed and displaceable within said cylinder, having a pair of restricted passageways intercommunicating opposite sides of said piston head, provided with one-way valves each permitting flow in a direction opposite of the other of said valves.  
   
   
       12 . An assembly according to  claim 11  wherein said cylinder includes a reservoir communicating with said fluid at a base end of said cylinder.  
   
   
       13 . An assembly according to  claim 1  wherein said lower arm section is provided with a pad at a free end thereof.  
   
   
       14 . An assembly according to  claim 1  wherein said lower arm section is provided with a bumper engageable with the underside of said dipper stick.  
   
   
       15 . An assembly according to  claim 1  wherein said suspending means comprises a chain assembly.  
   
   
       16 . An assembly according to  claim 1  wherein said implement comprises a bucket capable of curling and uncurling and said arm member has a length permitting the free end thereof to be received within said bucket when said bucket is curled.  
   
   
       17 . An assembly according to  claim 1  wherein said arm sections have a length permitting the free end thereof to be received in a bucket when said arm assembly is mounted on said dipper stick and a bucket mounted on said dipper stick is curled.  
   
   
       18 . An arm assembly mountable on a dipper stick of a machine and cooperable with an implement pivotally connected to said dipper stick for grappling articles between said arm assembly and said implement when said implement is pivoted toward said arm assembly comprising: 
 an upper arm section pivotally connectable to the underside of said dipper stick for pivotal movement about a first axis substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of said implement;    a lower arm section connected to said upper arm section for pivotal movement relative to said upper arm section about a second axis lying in a plane disposed substantially perpendicular to said first axis when said arm assembly is mounted on said dipper stick;    means interconnecting said arm sections for retarding the biasing action thereof; and    suspension means connected to the free end of said lower arm section and connectable to said dipper stick when said upper arm section is connected to the underside of said dipper stick, cooperable with said implement when said arm member is mounted on said dipper stick and said implement is pivoted toward said suspension means for grappling articles therebetween.    
   
   
       19 . An assembly according to  claim 18  including a means for biasing said arm sections into longitudinal alignment with each other.  
   
   
       20 . An assembly according to  claim 19  wherein said biasing means comprises a spring.  
   
   
       21 . An assembly according to  claim 18  wherein said retarding means includes a cylinder filled with a fluid and a piston having a head portion displaceable in said cylinder, provided with restricted passageways therethrough including one-way valves.  
   
   
       22 . An assembly according to  claim 21  wherein said cylinder includes a chamber communicable with said cylinder fluid.  
   
   
       23 . An assembly according to  claim 18  including a pair of retarding means for retarding the pivotal movement thereof.  
   
   
       24 . An assembly according to  claim 18  wherein said retarding means is pivotally connected to said upper arm section at a point displaced from the longitudinal centerline thereof.  
   
   
       25 . An assembly according to  claim 18  wherein said upper arm section includes a portion projecting laterally of the longitudinal centerline thereof and an end of said retarding means is pivotally connected thereto.  
   
   
       26 . An assembly according to  claim 18  wherein said lower arm section including means restricting the angular displacement of said lower arm section relative to said upper arm section.  
   
   
       27 . An assembly according to  claim 26  wherein said restricting means comprises a stop having angularly displaced abutment surfaces engageable with said upper arm section to correspondingly restrict the angular displacement of said lower arm section relative to said upper arm section.  
   
   
       28 . An assembly according to  claim 19  wherein said biasing means and said retarding means comprise a coil spring and a piston and cylinder assembly wherein said spring is connected at one end thereof to said piston and at another end thereof to said cylinder, said cylinder is provided with a fluid and said piston includes a head portion disposed and displaceable within said cylinder, having a pair of restricted passageways intercommunicating opposite sides of said piston head, having one-way valves each permitting flow in a direction opposite the direction of flow of the other of said valves.  
   
   
       29 . An assembly according to  claim 28  wherein said cylinder includes a reservoir communicable with said fluid at a base end of said cylinder.  
   
   
       30 . An assembly according to  claim 18  wherein said lower arm section is provided with a pad at the free end thereof.  
   
   
       31 . An assembly according to  claim 18  wherein said lower arm section is provided with a bumper engageable with the underside of said dipper stick when said arm member is mounted on said dipper stick.  
   
   
       32 . An assembly according to  claim 18  wherein said suspension means comprises a chain assembly.